BEIJING, Jun 11, 2010 (Dow Jones Commodities News via Comtex) -- China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co. said Friday that one of its units has acquired five exploration rights in the mineral-rich city of Chifeng in Inner Mongolia.

The acquisitions are part of the state-owned metals group's efforts to secure raw material supply for its zinc smelting project under construction in the autonomous region in China's northeast.

With the newly-acquired rights, Chifeng NFC Mining Investment Co. holds a total of 16 exploration rights in Chifeng, the company said.

CNMC expects to finish constructing the zinc smelter and start production by the end of this year, the company said. The smelter will have annual capacity of 100,000 tons, it said.